One form of therapy that is currently used to treat psychological disorders is behavior therapy. Behavior therapy is a major psychotherapy field, comprised of a wide array of therapeutic interventions that directly alter problem behaviors by changing the underlying conditions that sustain them (Spiegler, 2018). At the very core of behavior therapy are four different defining themes. To start with, behavioral therapy is scientific, especially with regard to its commitment to empirical validation and precision. The goals for therapy, behaviors to be changed, and procedures employed in assessing and changing the problem are precisely defined. Secondly, behavior therapy is action-oriented. Clients are engaged in particular behaviors to relieve their problems instead of just talking about them. Simply put, there is a collaboration between the client and the therapist all through the duration of therapy, and at times, important people in the life of a client such as a spouse or parents are called upon to support in the treatment (Spiegler, 2018). Third, the emphasis of the therapy is the prevailing time and not the past. The underlying rationale is that the problems affecting clients do occur in the present and, therefore, solely present conditions can affect present behaviors directly. Fourth, learning is a significant aspect of behavioral therapy. The problems of clients frequently reduced and maintained through leaning, and learning principles such as reinforcement are typically used in behavioral therapy.
Behavior therapy progresses by following a series of seven interconnected techniques or steps. The process begins by clarifying the client’s presenting problem and if there are several problems, they are prioritized (Spiegler, 2018). Second, the therapist and client set the goals for therapy. At the third stage, the underlying problem is defined as the target behavior; this is usually stated as a discrete and narrow aspect of the problem that can be measured and directly relates to the client’s problem. In this light, the therapy largely involves handling one or two target behaviors at a time. In cases where several target behaviors have been identified, each is treated independently and successfully before proceeding to the next behavior. Fourth, the conditions sustaining the target behavior are determined and fifth, a treatment plan is developed. A treatment plan, comprising of individualized and specific procedures, is specified by the therapist to change the conditions that sustain the target behavior (Spiegler, 2018). After developing the treatment plan, it is implemented at the sixth stage; by implementing the treatment plan, it alters the target behavior and the problem affecting the client. Lastly, the success of treatment is evaluated based on the comparison in the functioning of the client before and after the treatment.
There are different types of behavior therapy, and these include cognitive behavior therapy, cognitive behavior play therapy, system desensitization, and aversion therapy (Spiegler " Guevremont, 2016). Cognitive behavior therapy is the most popular and it combines cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. Treatments are focused on how a client’s beliefs and thoughts proceed to influence their moods and actions. Cognitive behavior therapy largely focuses on an individual’s prevailing problems and how to effectively address them (Hofmann, Asnaani, Vonk, Sawyer, " Fang, 2012). The goal in the long-run is to change present behavioral and thinking patterns to healthier ones. The primary assumption of cognitive behavior therapy is that learning progressions account for a significant part in the development and perseverance of the undesirable behaviors, and in the same manner, learning processes can be employed to help clients change their feelings, behaviors, and thoughts (Spiegler " Guevremont, 2016). With regard to cognitive behavior play therapy, it is usually used with children. By observing children play, behavior therapists gain an understanding of what children are unable to express or are uncomfortable expressing (Spiegler " Guevremont, 2016). How children, for instance, choose their toys or the games they like playing points to their fears. In turn, therapists can ask children to use toys to create scenes in their mind, play freely, or draw pictures to induce learning. However, since children cannot spend all the time with therapists, parents are taught how to use play to improve aspects such as communication with their children.
As a type of behavior therapy, system desensitization heavily relies on classical conditioning. System desensitization is most often used in the treatment of phobias. Essentially, clients are trained to substitute fear for a given phobia with relaxation. The client is first trained on the techniques for breathing and relaxation. Once the techniques have been mastered, the therapist begins to gradually expose the clients to their fears and they are asked to practice the learned breathing and relaxation techniques (Spiegler " Guevremont, 2016). On its part, aversion therapy is usually utilized in treating problems such as alcoholism and substance abuse. Aversion therapy functions by teaching individuals to associate a given stimulus that is desired though harmful with an awfully unpleasant stimulus. This unpleasant stimulus could be anything that leads to discomfort. For instance, a therapist can train a client to associate drug abuse with an unpleasant memory.
Many people can benefit from behavior therapy. In particular, behavior therapy is often applied to clients suffering from depression, anger issues, panic disorders, and anxiety (Spiegler " Guevremont, 2016). Behavioral therapy is also applicable in treating other disorders and conditions such as substance abuse, the tendency for self-harm, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), different phobias – especially social phobias, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders. Depending on the underlying condition, the therapist decides which type of behavioral therapy to implement (Spiegler " Guevremont, 2016). For instance, aversion therapy could be used with drug abuse addicts while system desensitization is appropriate for social phobias. While behavior therapy is used with both children and adults, cognitive behavior play therapy is most suited at handling psychological issues affecting young children.
To become a behavior therapist, it calls for significant formal education. Behavior therapists have to hold a graduate degree and be licensed by the state, which calls for continuing education to sustain (Spiegler, 2018). The education of behavior therapists starts with a bachelor’s degree in the field of psychology and proceeds to graduate programs in counseling or psychology. Some programs at the master’s and doctoral level allow for specialization in cognitive-behavioral therapy or behavior therapy and analysis. During their education, aspiring behavior therapists gain extensive training and do have the option of focusing on a given type of therapy. Simply put, students can choose a general practice or specialize in a number of niches that comprise eating disorders, substance abuse, addictions, mental health, and family and marriage counseling. Programs at the graduate level teach students on learning and conditioning, ethical issues, and treatment techniques (Spiegler, 2018). Regarding clinical experience, it is gained through working with clients under the supervision and direction of a licensed professional.
Over the years, behavior therapy has been successfully used to treat an array of conditions and diseases, and with this, it is regarded to be extremely effective. Over 75 of people who have been enrolled in behavior therapy programs have been found to have benefited in some way from the treatment. For instance, Hofmann et al. (2012) found cognitive behavior therapy to be very effective in treating bulimia, general stress, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, depression, somatoform disorders, and problems with anger control. Other studies have shown that play therapy is largely effective in handling psychological conditions that affect children aged between 3 and 12 (as cited in Hofmann et al., 2012).
References
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., " Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440.
Spiegler, M. D. (2018). Behavior therapy. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Spiegler, M. D., " Guevremont, D. C. (2016). Contemporary behavior therapy (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
